Writing a good job description can be a quick and painless process and brings great immediate benefits to both the team leader and employees.

I recently wrote up five job descriptions for a client who wanted to make sure everyone knew what was expected of them. Here is my process and how long it took

Job Description Process

• I held a meeting with the business owner and the five staff members to explain the purpose of writing the job descriptions and how it would improve communication and benefit them in numerous ways
• I met with each person individually to have them describe their tasks, the knowledge and skills required, the desired knowledge and skills and the minimum performance standards. One of the employees reported to another person amongst the five so I had the two meet to list the tasks and then I reviewed with the supervisor.

• I wrote up the job descriptions on my job description template form. The last thing I added was the summary of job responsibilities, which is the first section after the job title and details section. I like to do this last as it seems to make better sense.
• I sent the completed forms to the manager for his review and feedback. I will then adjust accordingly.
• Next I will meet each person again to review and finalize the documents.

Time

I estimate the total time will be between 2-3 hours per job description as each job is unique. The time it takes would vary depending on the person who is writing the description. Some people are very detailed oriented so it would take longer. I like to do things quickly but well. If I didn’t have to discuss the descriptions with the manager, it could take less.

Using the Tool to Manage Performance

I will use the tool on an ongoing basis with this client as the manager has asked me to coach the employees on teamwork and performance improvement each month. I plan to meet each person regularly to review their performance based on the minimum performance standards that is part of the job description.

I will also discuss their needs for training and development based on what they had told me were the desired skills for the position.

Managers may procrastinate on writing or updating job descriptions because they are busy and don’t see this tool as urgent. People are doing their jobs and they might not see a need.

A job description is an important tool for managing and coaching employees as I wrote in my article 10 Good Reasons to Write and Use a Job Description. It is also essential for recruiting and selecting new employees.

Download my Job Description Template from the forms section of my website for free or from my author page on Eloquens.